SECURE ENERGY FUTURE CENTER OPENS IN NEWPORT NEWS, ADVANCING ENERGY INNOVATION FOR VIRGINIA’S MARITIME ECONOMY
The future of energy in the Commonwealth took a significant
step forward on April 22 as regional and state leaders gathered
in Newport News to celebrate the grand opening of the Secure
Energy Future Center (SEFC) at Tech Center Research Park.
Launched on Earth Day, SEFC is a Virginia Tech Corporate
Research Center (VTCRC) initiative and first-of-its-kind hub
designed to accelerate next-generation energy solutions by
bringing together academia, industry and government. The
center aims to transform Virginia’s strategic coastal advantages
into a national platform for energy innovation, with a focus
on commercialization, workforce development and real-world
deployment of advanced technologies.
For Virginia’s maritime sector, the significance of SEFC is
immediate and far-reaching. Hampton Roads is home to the Port
of Virginia, the nation’s largest concentration of naval facilities,
and one of the most energy-intensive logistics and shipbuilding
ecosystems in the world. As global shipping, port operations
and maritime infrastructure evolve to meet new environmental
standards and energy demands, access to reliable, resilient and
innovative energy systems is becoming mission-critical.
SEFC is designed to address exactly that challenge.
“The Secure Energy Future Center represents the beginning of a
new chapter for Virginia’s energy economy,” said Chelsea Olivieri,
Managing Director of SEFC. “It is a place where industry leaders
can work alongside researchers and policymakers to solve realworld energy challenges and accelerate solutions that support
both economic growth and national security.”
Developed through a collaboration led by the VTCRC, SEFC
is supported by a broad coalition of partners, including the
Hampton Roads Alliance, GO Virginia Region 5, the Hampton
Roads Executive Roundtable, the City of Newport News, W.M.
Jordan Company, Virginia Tech’s Newport News Center, the
Dominion Energy Innovation Center and others. Seed funding
from GO Virginia helped catalyze the project and align it with
the region’s long-term economic development strategy.
For maritime stakeholders, this level of collaboration is
particularly important. Energy innovation is no longer a siloed
issue—it intersects directly with port electrification, alternative
fuels, offshore wind integration, shipyard modernization and the
resilience of defense infrastructure.
“The Secure Energy Future Center is a powerful example of
what happens when regional collaboration turns vision into
action,” said Doug Smith, President and CEO of the
Hampton Roads Alliance. “Hampton Roads has the infrastructure,
talent and strategic assets to lead in advanced energy, and SEFC
gives us a platform to attract investment, support business
growth and establish this region as a nationally recognized hub
for energy innovation.”
The center’s programming reflects these priorities.
SEFC will support workforce training, energy technology
demonstrations, and commercialization pathways for emerging
solutions, while also fostering connections between energy
innovators and end users across sectors, including maritime.
As energy demand continues to grow across Virginia’s ports,
shipyards and defense installations, SEFC positions the region
to lead in developing the technologies and talent needed to meet
that demand.
In doing so, it reinforces a critical truth for Virginia’s
maritime community: the future of maritime competitiveness
is inseparable from the future of energy. Learn more at
secureenergyfuturecenter.com.
Published in the May 2026 Virginia Maritime Bulletin